


Too Far

by TheRoseyOne



Series: Prompts [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, not extremely graphic violence. but there isn't a better tag there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-05-16 15:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14813684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoseyOne/pseuds/TheRoseyOne
Summary: A prompt from tehraincoat that went too far. This was only supposed to be a paragraph. I got carried away.Prompt: What if Aang had lost to Ozai?





	1. Sokka

As the eel hound galloped across the landscape, Sokka tried to get his thoughts together. It was too hard.

Toph and Suki held tight behind him, trying not to outright sob, but he felt the sorrow radiating off of them, heard the gasping breaths between tears. He was trying to be strong for them, but he was feeling the pain too.

The throbbing in his leg wasn’t helping him get his thoughts together either, but one thought helped a bit…

_How am I going to tell Katara?_

Ozai had won. The Earth Kingdom was aflame. Aang…

It caused him physical pain to think about Aang.  It hurt more than the pain in his leg to think of the way Ozai beat Aang and slung his battered body against the stone pillar. Then, to add insult to injury, he burned him.

Ozai burned Aang just to scar him. Scared him like he had done Zuko, but more, from the top of his head to his shoulder. Sokka, Suki and Toph could hear Aang screaming from yards away.

The way he screamed…

But he was still breathing.  Toph said so, and so did Ozai.

“I know you’re out there!” He yelled into the air “You took down my ships,  but you have not won! I am the supreme ruler of this world.

“Go! Spread the news! The avatar is defeated! ” Ozai lifted Aang by the tatters of his shirt “I didn’t kill him! I’m not foolish enough to kill him just so I’ll have to do this again in sixteen years!”

_Aang is alive._

…that’s what mattered. As long as Aang was alive they had a chance.


	2. Aang

 

Her name was Song, and she’d been captured hiding in a small hospital that hadn’t been destroyed by fire. She was kind, and spoke sweet words, but the fact remained that she was Ozai’s slave, she was suffering because he hadn’t killed Ozai.

What Ozai didn’t burn, he conquered, enslaving all who escaped the fire. All but the wealthy elite who bowed to him to keep some semblance of freedom.

Song told Aang these things and other bits of news she’d heard while she changed his bandages:

“Aang,” she whispered to him “We hear he is not going back to the Fire Nation because he cannot. His son, Zuko, has been declared Fire Lord.”

“Ba Sing Se remains free. The Dragon of the West has taken it. There is still hope.”

“Thank you.” He whispered. It was all he ever said aloud.

_No news of the others_ he thought _If I had only gotten close enough to do what the lion turtle taught me… I should have just killed Ozai like they said._

There was a time when that thought would have put a bad taste in his mouth. Not anymore.

He continued to be quiet. When he was strong enough to sit up he wound meditate to make it through the day. It helped him feel somewhat free, and it gave him an opportunity to find a way to regain his strength, so he could escape and make things better.

He remained quiet. He only whispered ‘thank you’ to Song and had the occasional night terror.

The news continued to come:

“The Northern Water Tribe is safe, but the south has been decimated.”

“The Kyoshi Warriors are training women in the Fire Nation to fight. They are all that’s left of their island.”

“Oazi will be taking over the largest estate in Gaoling as his headquarters. We’ll all be leaving here soon.”

“There have been sightings of The Blue Spirit, The Painted Lady, and The Wolf Demon all over the Earth Kingdom.”

“Ozai’s loyalist helped Princess Azula escape a mental hospital. She had been reunited with her father.

* * *

Aang ate very little, and he absolutely refused to eat any meat. The cook would sometimes only put meat in Aang’s dish for spite. Song would sneak him some rice, or vegetables whenever she could, but that was rare. Aang had become painfully thin.

At the end of his first year of captivity, Ozai came to see Aang.

“So, you’re trying to starve to death?” The man said with a chuckle in his voice “We can’t have that. My star attraction can not look like this.” He scowled “you can barely stand.”

Aang looked at Ozai with clear disgust. He wanted to know what Ozai meant by ‘star attraction’ but he was unwilling to ask. He just responded, “I don’t eat meat.”

Ozai raised an eyebrow “Is that it?” he laughed and shook his head “Airbenders.” Then he walked away.

* * *

Aang started receiving more suitable meals. His face started filling out, and when he could stand without trembling, Song only came to give him meals and a chi blocker visited him regularly to make sure he couldn’t bend. The news also became sparser. He was lucky if he heard something every few weeks.

“The Fire Lord’s forces are growing. They are slowly taking back what’s left of the Earth Kingdom. Ozai’s forces also grow with those who defected from the Fire Nation.”

* * *

Ozai came to see Aang again after six months. This time Azula was by his side. She looked different; quiet and unsure. For a split second she looked at Aang in shock, then she regained an indifferent expression. She said nothing. Ozai only comment on how Aang was looking stronger, more suitable.

He came again at the end of another six months. Aang stood in his cell facing the wall.

“How old are you now Avatar?” he asked eyeing the young man’s back. Aang was taller than Ozai now “I asked you a question _BOY_!”

Aang cut his eyes, but he didn’t turn around “I’m sixteen.” He grumbled. His voice had gotten deeper too.

Ozai just said “Good.” And walked away.

The next day Aang was taken to the baths. He was allowed to soak in the water, take his time and bathe, and shave for the first time since Sozin’s Comet.

He was given air Nomad robes instead of the tattered red prison suits he’d been wearing. They were clearly new, silk, and made by skilled hands, although not entirely accurate. Once he was dressed he was taken to Ozai.

“There will be a party tonight,” The Phoenix King started. He circled Aang to inspect him “and you will behave like the exhibit you are. You are not to speak unless spoken to, and even then, you are not to embarrass me.”

Aang did as he was told. He stood in the middle of the large room as Ozai’s loyalist and the Upper Class of the former Earth kingdom gawked at him. He thought about that tigerdillo he’s met years before at the old Ba Sing Se zoo. He felt like that tigerdillo; trapped, scared, helpless. He wanted to lash out like the tigerdillo did, but he didn’t dare.

Most of the people stood back and stared. A brave few approached him and touched his arrow or the scar that ran down the left side of his face to his shoulder. Only one person spoke to him.

He saw her out of the corner of his eye, and, even though the vision in that eye wasn’t the best anymore, she looked familiar. The woman stood beside him staring at his face like the others had, but closer.

“Where is my daughter” she demanded tightly, just loud enough for the people closest to them to hear “You stole her away and she hasn’t been home since. Where is my Toph.”

He saw the people within earshot’s eyes light up. They moved to the people behind them to relay the news.

“I have not seen your daughter, nor anyone I know in over two years.” He answered stiffly.

“You monster!” she slapped him, loud enough to sound off, but not so much that it hurt. It was the first human contact he’d had since his bandages had been removed for the last time. He pretended that it hurt and grabbed his face.

He watched the people gasped and moved back a bit more to talk about the scene. Then Poppy fell onto him, grabbing his robes “You monster!” she pretended to sob into his clothes, and whispered quickly to him “She’s in Ba Sing Se. They’ve been looking everywhere for you. I’ll tell them you are here.”

A guard lifted the woman away from Aang as another unwound her tiny fingers from his robes.

“You give her back to me!” she continued her act as she flailed in the guard’s arms as he removed her from the room “You give me my daughter back!’


	3. Azula

**Azula**

It was bad enough that she was beaten by a water bender, but to be taken to an asylum, that was just adding insult to injury. They put her in a straightjacket and locked her in a padded room that was constantly under guard. Azula was totally humiliated.

What would her father say?

All she had to do was be crowned. To do that she only had to beat Zuko. She couldn’t even beat Zuko…the family shame.

_How’d he get so strong? Or maybe I was weak… Father will kill me._

Months passed. She is treated well, considering where she is. The so-called doctor talks to her on a regular basis. Azula just listens, never speaks, but what the woman says is interesting.

Zuko comes at night to talk a few times a week. She doesn’t say much to him either, but she never passes up the opportunity to say “Hello Zuzu.” She still felt a bit of glee when he scowled at his childhood nickname.

He talked about their mother often, about some cock-eyed plan to go find her. He said if things were different he would have taken her with him, but she was too much of a wild card with Ozai still out there.

He came once talking about how the blind earth bender found secret rooms. Zuko had gone through his father’s things and found a letter their mother wrote when they were little children. He didn’t say what was in the letter, but it had clearly upset him.

_Upset. Like when he asked if I knew where the Avatar could be. He’s desperate to find her, like he’s desperate to find him._

Zuko didn’t visit for over a week, that was unlike him. Azula figured he’d gone off to find their mother.  

_She’d be happy to see me like this._

One day a new guard came and told her that she would be free soon. She didn’t believe him, but that night he and five others come and snuck her out of the asylum and to a boat. They told her that they are loyal to the true Fire Lord and that they are taking her to her father. She wondered if it would have been better to stay in the asylum. They traveled by boat, then on foot, and finally by airship until they came to the estate where her father was staying.

She stood in front of him as he spoke to her from the dais where he sat. Ozai was calm, too calm for Azula’s liking. She said nothing as he went on about responsibly and disappointment.

He stood up and walked to her. Azula braced herself for what was to come. He’d burned Zuko just for speaking out, what would he do to her for utter failure.

Ozai grabbed her by the biceps. He did it so quickly, Azula gasped. She tried to reign in the fear she was feeling, but she couldn’t. Ozai squeezed her arms tightly. He was hurting her. She wanted to pull away, but she was afraid. He pulled her closer, so that his mouth was near her ear.

“I expected better from you. I thought your brother was the feeble one, but, perhaps, it was you.”

* * *

Azula appreciated the ability to move about as she pleased but being under the same roof as Ozai made her uneasy. She stayed away from him as much as possible, but she was summoned on occasion. When he called she put on a confident, strong face, but she was tormented inside.

She’s always thought that Ozai cared about her, now she knew that all he cared about was how much use she was to him. Results were all that mattered. She had failed him, but he was keeping her around. She wondered what he had in store for her.

One day Ozai had her walk with him to a room at the end of the mansion. As they walked he went on about building a new world and new things to come. Two of the five guards standing outside the room opened the doors and she followed her father inside. In the middle of the room there was a cell, and in the middle of that cell stood the Avatar. His eyes were dark, he was too thin for his height, and he was badly scared, but there was no doubt that this was the last air bender. Her eyes betrayed her shock at seeing him for a moment, but she regained her composure. Ozai mentioned he looked stronger.

_What did he look like before?_

As they walked back Ozai went on and on about having grand plans and that she was going to be key in the Fire Nation’s complete domination of the world.

Another six months passed and Ozai mostly left her alone, but he had this strange interest in rather or not she was eating healthy foods. This was a new level of controlling.

One day Ozai had a party. She stood quietly at the back of the ballroom in her new gown and headpiece watching people kiss Ozai’s ass and gossip about what became of the Avatar as they gaped at him. It was all insufferably boring until a woman made a scene.

Someone ran to tell her that this is the woman who was once the mistress of the estate and she was going on about how the Avatar had stolen her daughter away. She hasn’t seen her child since. Azula looked just in time to see the guards carry the woman out. She looks slightly familiar.

_The blind one must be her daughter._

The remaining guards in the room called everyone’s attention to Ozai and they gathered around where he stood next to the Avatar.

“It is time for the world to be reborn and the Fire Nation to be retaken.” The people applauded and cheered Ozai’s declaration as Azula made her way through the crowd “over time we will build the new world into a powerful place, but, until then, we must continue to fight and continue to grow our armies. Our armies will grow in amazing ways. I have a vision for our future.

He looked at the Avatar and took a step forward “Imagine an unbeatable army with all the skills of an air bender and a heart made strong by the Fire Nation.” He gestured back at Aang “This young man is the key to this future.

“Soon, suitable, young fire nation women will have the opportunity to birth one of these future air bending soldiers. Great honor will be brought to the family of any young woman who bares one of these children, not only because of their service to their country, but also because those children will be able to say they are siblings to the Phoenix King’s grandchild.”

The people around her applauded, but Azula was appalled. Her own father was standing before all these people and demanding that she carry the Avatar’s child.  That was his plan, to use her as an incubator for his twisted idea. She couldn’t stand there and listen anymore. Azula ran out into the hall to get some air and pull her thoughts together.

Azula paced and took deep breaths. She vaguely remembered the doctor saying something about deep breathing being calming. It helped her gather her thoughts.

She knew she couldn’t go against him, not alone, he would kill her for sure. She reasoned that having the Avatar’s child was better than death. Ozai would surely make it a slow, agonizing death.

* * *

Azula walked quietly behind the guards with her head held high. She kept telling herself that it was a great honor to try and drown out the reoccurring thought,

_You have no choice._

The guards opened the door. The cell was gone. It had been replaced by heavy bars on the windows and an enormous bed. It was sickening.

The Avatar sat on the bed, rubbing his hands across the top. At the sound of the guards closing the door he stood up quickly, holding his head down and tucking his hands behind his back. “I haven’t seen a bed in a long time.” He confessed quietly.

“No small talk.” She snapped at him, walking forward “Let’s get this over with.”


	4. Katara

**Katara**

“Let’s go!” she said jumping to her feet.

Her brother grabbed her hand “It won’t be that simple.”

“He’s right?” Toph said, sitting forward in her seat at the large, round table “My mom said our estate is more heavily guarded than the Earth King’s palace.”

Katara scowled at her “So what? We leave him to rot for another two and a half years?”

“Nobody’s saying that,” Suki said, “But we can’t go in halfcocked.”

Katara swung around to where Suki sat, between her and Zuko “Then what should we do? Sit around while Ozai does Tui knows what to him?” She sunk into her seat “There has to be something wrong, he hasn’t broken himself out.”

Zuko stroked at his chin “He’s having Aang chi-blocked.”

Katara sat up “What?”

“He has to be. My father doesn’t take risk. He sent my mother away to avoid being exposed, he got rid of me because I spoke too freely, he stayed safe in the palace until Sozin’s Comet. The only way he could be keeping Aang captive this long is if he is having him chi-blocked.”

“You think so?” Sokka asked.

It’s the only thing that makes sense.” He replied “Madam Beifong said that Aang was a little thin, but he looked healthy. Aang would have bent his way out of there by now if he could.”

“We need a well-organized, strategic plan and at least two contingency plans. It’s not going to be easy, and once we get to Aang, he probably won’t be able to help us,” Suki looked at Katara and put a comforting hand on hers “but we will get him back.”

Katara looked at Suki with tears in her eyes “When?”

Suki squeezed her hand “As soon as we can.”

Tears ran out of Katara’s eyes and she held her head down. She quietly said, “That’s not soon enough.” got up and left the room.

* * *

After Sozin’s Comet passed, all she wanted to do with sit with Aang and tell him everything. Then Sokka, Suki and Toph came back without him. They all gathered in Zuko’s room so that they could tell them what happened.

Katara was devastated. She tried to leave right then to go and find Aang, but they stopped her. They said it was too dangerous, that too much had changed. They had to bide their time.

A couple of months passed, and she snuck out, dressed as the painted lady. She was determined to find him and bring him back. She was on the edge of the capitol when Sokka and Zuko caught up to her. They told her she didn’t have to do it alone. That they missed him too. The next time she went out they were with her. Zuko wore a blue mask and black cloths, Sokka wore his warrior’s uniform and paint. Soon, stories started to spread about how the spirits were angry that the Avatar was missing because The Painted Lady, The Blue Spirit and The Wolf Demon were looking for him.

Together they saved some people, took down some Ozai Loyalist, got small bit of information, but they didn’t find out anything about Aang.

* * *

She looked up at the full moon and took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to wait anymore, she going to do it herself. When the full moon rose again, she would be in Gaoling. She would put Hama’s lesson to good use.


	5. Room

Aang spent the dawn of the day after the party watching as the workmen put the bars on the windows of the room where his cell sat.  Early that afternoon he was ushered out of the cell and surrounded by guards. The workmen returned and set about lifting the heavy cell onto a low cart and taking it out of the room. He peered between the guards as the workmen came back and put a large bed together.

Finally, everyone left. He walked around the large room for the first time, touching the walls he had started at from afar for years.

_Two and a half years…or maybe closer to three…so long._

His attention turned to the bed that sat in the middle of the room. He walked to it and sat down sighing as he sank onto the mattress. Aang rubbed his hand across the soft crimson comforter that covered the bed.

_A bath, nice clothes, and a bed all in the course of two days. I wonder what torture he has in store for me now…oh, yeah. I’m his new prized steed._

_I never thought it would be like this. I thought it would be Katara._

Katara. Aang’s fist clinched in the cover. He hadn’t let himself think off his friends in over a year, least of all her. It hurt too much. He brushed his hands back and forth to smooth the crumple in the comforter.

 _Azula would never agree to this. She hates me_.

He looked up when he heard the doors close. Azula stood in the middle of the room. He was embarrassed that he’d been caught lost in his thoughts. He stood up “I haven’t seen a bed in a long time.” He blurted out. His cheek twitched. It was more of the truth than he wanted to tell her.

Azula sneered at him “No small talk.” She walked up to him “lets get this over with.”

Azula reached toward his pants and Aang grabbed her by the biceps to stop her. She flinched with a gasp and snatched away from him, her hands going to where he’d grabbed her.

“I’m sorry.” He said as he shuffled back quickly. The way she reacted shocked him “I was just going to say we don’t have to do this.”

Azula stood up straight and scowled at him “You must be truly stupid.” She brushed her hand down the side of her face mockingly “You know what happens to those who oppose him.”

Aang touched the scar on his face. He’d never looked at it, not even the reflection in the bath as he sat in the water. “I know.”

Azula walked to him again “Then shut up and let’s get this over with.”

He stopped her again, catching her arms in the same way. She flinched and stepped back “You don’t touch me there! Do you hear me?” she yelled at him.

It was strange. Azula was determined to have sex with him, but he couldn’t touch her arms “Why?” he challenged.

She glared at him “Because I said so.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It doesn’t have to. You’re the prisoner here. You do as I say.”

Aang raised an eyebrow at her “Oh? So this is your sick idea.”

She was appalled “Of course not. If you think that you really are an idiot.”

“Then why are you going along with this so easily?”

He was trying to analyze her, just like that doctor “You do not get to ask me questions. Shut up and take your pants off.”

“No.”

“What?!”

He crossed his arms “I said no.”

“Do you want to die? Because that’s what’s going to happen.”

“It’s not. Ozai has gone a long way to make sure I didn’t die. He’s not going to kill me, especially now that he’s announce this crazy plan.”

She growled “You stupid fucking idiot.” She shoved him so hard he dropped on the bed “Just do it. He can still torture you, and he won’t hesitate to kill me.”

Aang sat up and scoffed “He wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Fool.” She said under her breath “You’ve seen what he did to Zuko. He didn’t care about him being his son, only that he felt disrespected.”

“Zuko said you were his favorite.”

“He did, did he? Well look at what Ozai did to his favorite.” She pulled her robe down to her elbow.

Aang’s mouth fell open. On each arm Azula had burn marks around them. He stood up. “He burned you too.”

She held her head down “I didn’t win. I was close, but I didn’t win. Then that peasant stopped me with her water. They put me in that place…that madhouse. That’s where they found me and brought me here.” She held her scars “This was my punishment. For failing him. If I fail him again I know he’ll kill me.”

“Then we won’t let that happen.” Aang said, stepping closer to her.

She looked up at him and stepped closer “Then you’re ready to do as he said.”

He looked at her “No. But we’ll let him think we did.”

“How?” Aang put his hands in Azula’s hair and shook them around. She stepped back “What are you doing?”

“You can’t leave here looking neat. If you do, he’ll know nothing happened.” He looked down “Now lift your dress.”

She looked at him confused “What? But you just said- ‘

“You still look too neat. Your dress needs to be crumpled up, like it’s been pushed back.”

She cut her eyes at him “How do you know so much about all of this.”

He blushed and scratched his head “When Suki came back I heard a few things. Saw her leaving Sokka’s room a few times. That and what Gyatso told me about sex.”

“Who is…oh, forget it.” She reached down and crumpled the front of her long dress in her hands “Okay. Now what?”

“Just hold it till I tell you to let go.”

Azula watched Aang walk over to the wall near the door. He turned around and backed into it hard with a grunt. She stretched her eyes at him as he repentantly bumped against the wall, grunting every so often until, finally, he let out a long, loud groan.

He walked back over to her “That should do it.”

She stared at him with her mouth agape “What the hell was that all about.”

“We had to make it convincing. As controlling as Ozai is, he’s sure to have someone come and check the sheets. Now they won’t do that, because the guards will tell them that I took you up against the wall.”

She made a disgusted face “Like I would ever let you do such a thing.”

“Well, they need to believe that’s what happened.” He looked at her “You can let that go now.”

He’d caught her so off guard that she forgot she was holding her dress. She let it go “How did you come up with this so quickly?”

He shrugged “when all you have to do all day is think, you learn to do it quickly.”

She thought back to her days in the padded room “That’s true.”

He looked at her just in time to see a sadness cross her face for a moment. He wondered what happened to her, but he didn’t have time to waste. “Okay, now you have to rush out of here and go straight to a bathroom. I’ll see you later.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“He’ll send you again, probably multiple times. I’ll figure something out for the next time.” He flopped onto the bed “Now go.”

Azula went to the door and knocked. A guard opened one side of the double doors just enough for here to walk out. After she rounded the corner, the guard who opened the door peeked inside before she closed the door.

“He’s out already.” She giggled “Kahn, you owe me a gold coin.”

The man next to her grumbled and pulled the coin from his pocket and slapped it into her hand. “Here Ming. I was a damn fool to make that bet with you.”

The man on the other side him shushed them “The princess might hear you.”

“You see how she rushed out of there, Lee.  She’s all the way at the end of the hall by now.” Kahn said.

But she wasn’t. She’s paused at the corner to hear what they were saying. They’d fallen for it. The Avatar really knew what he was talking about.

She turned and rushed to the bathroom as she was told before someone say her standing there.


	6. Zuko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, writer's block is such a pain.  
> Thanks to Madamebomb and TehRaincoat for helping me out. Check them out, they're pretty awesome.

**Zuko**

He sat at the old pond and thought. Even after all this time, all that had happened, he went to the turtleduck pond to think.

Aang was gone, and now so was Azula. He never should have left, he should have taken her with him, after all, it was her mother too.

He found their mother and more; a step-father and a little sister. Zuko was excited for her to meet them, but he came home, and she was gone.

On top of that Toph’s mother showed up with news of Aang. It was so much to take in…too much.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

He turned around and smiled as his mother approached. “I just needed a little air.”

She kneeled beside him “I’m sure. You certainly came back to a mess.”

“Yeah.” He sighed “I mean, I’m glad we have news on Aang, but Azula being there too.” He looked at his mother then at the ground “I don’t know what to do.”

Right then he looked like the little boy he was so long ago. “Zuko. You're keeping secrets.”

He couldn’t help but smiled at the statement, one she’d said to him more than a few times when he was little.

“Toph and I didn’t tell them everything her mother told us.” He shook his head “After Madam Beifong was taken out, Ozai made an announcement. He had an insane plan.” He held his head down and balled his fist in his lap.

Ursa put her hand on her son’s shoulder “What is it Zuko?  You may feel better if you talk about it.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath “Madam Beifong had someone else with her, a guy from here named Saturo who’s posing as a Loyalist. He said after she was taken away Ozai talked about plans to breed new airbender using Aang and young women of the Fire Nation.”

Ursa’s hand went to her chest “That’s horrible.” He looked at her, his face drawn “There’s more, isn’t there?”

He nodded “Saturo said that the first young woman to have an airbender baby would be Azula.”

She clutched her heart “What? You mean Azula is-”

“No.” he shook his head “At least not yet. He said she looked just as shocked as everyone else when Ozai made the announcement and she left the room quickly.”

Ursa sighed “Well that’s a little bit of a relief.”

Zuko shook his head again “No, Mom, it’s not.” He looked at her “He’s keeping things from her. Why wouldn’t he tell her about something so big. And she would never agree to that. I think she’s being held against her will.” He stood up and walked to the edge of the pond “Maybe she _was_ listening to me. Maybe I was getting through to her. If I had just brought her with me to find you then he wouldn’t have gotten to her…This is all my fault.”

“No Zuko.” Ursa said as she stood up. She stood beside him and put her hand on his back. “None of this is your fault.”

He snatched away “No! This is _all_ my fault! If I had just told everyone what Ozai had planned from the beginning, then Aang wouldn’t have gone off to face Ozai on his own. We could have made a better plan. And now he has Azula too because I left her.” tears fell from his eyes “How can I take care of a country if I can’t even take care of my friend and sister.”

“No, Darling.” She went to him and pulled him into a hug. He stood stiff at first, but then he leaned into his shoulder “None of this is your fault, it’s Ozai’s. Power went to his head long ago.”

* * *

It was late when Zuko finally returned to the palace. He’d told his mother he was fine hours earlier and sent her ahead. He clutched the papers in his hands a bit tighter. He’d come up with an idea and had written everything out, he just hoped it would work. He needed to talk to Toph about the layout of her family’s estate and he needed to ask Suki if the plan was feasible. He was headed across the courtyard to see Toph, when movement at the far end of the yard caught his eye.

He ducked into the shadows and eased closer. There he saw Katara, bent into a stance he hadn’t seen in years; not since the night they went looking for her mother’s killer. He stepped out into the light. “Katara? What are you doing?”

She swung around to him. For a second she looked like a child caught in the act, then determination spread across her face. “Practicing my form.”

He raised an eyebrow at her “I’ve seen that form before, on the Southern Raiders ship. It kind of scared the hell out of me.” He said frankly.

She crossed her arms “Really?” he nodded “Good.”

“Why are you doing that?”

She considered lying, but that thought went out of her head as soon as it came in “I’m going to get Aang.”

Zuko let out a frustrated sigh “Katara, we have to wait.”

“I am waiting.” She turned her back to him and got into a stance “Besides, I can’t do it until the full moon. I’m going then.”

He walked up to her “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

“Positive.”

“I talked to Sokka once, asked him what that was.”

“It’s bloodbending.” She said curtly as she lowered her arms. She didn’t turn around.

“He told me. He said you didn’t want to do it, but you had to to save him and Aang. That’s admirable.”

She turned her head a bit “Thank you.”

“He also told me that you were upset about having to bloodbend for weeks.” She turned her head away from him again “I’m not telling you want to do, I’m just asking that we all go together.”

“I’m tired of waiting.”

“I know. We all miss him,” he put a hand on her shoulder “we just have to do this right.”

She took a deep breath “He’s been gone too long. I want him back.”

“We all do.”

She inhaled again and exhaled with a jagged sob “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“I know.” Zuko let out a deep sigh and opened his arms “Do you need a hug?”

She looked at him. She couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled up in her “Are you sure?”

“If I remember right, you’re the one who said if I was going to be a part of the group, I had to be a part of the hugs.” He dropped his arms “You look like you can use one.”

She frowned and nodded her hear. “Yeah.” Bubbled out through a sob and she fell against his chest.


	7. Ty Woo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s pretty short, but it’s getting us somewhere.

When Phoenix King Ozai sent for Ty Woo the town was nearly abandoned, except for soldiers, guards and those allowed to live in the estate The Phoenix king had taken over. The surviving people who had once lived there had been pushed to camps outside the city gates.

She’d been assigned a little house inside the estate. It was nice, and she got it all to herself, the guards shared the other four, larger, houses, and the soldiers stayed in confiscated homes outside the estate. She had one job, keep the Avatar from bending, that was all. She found ways to entertain herself the rest of the time.

She watched as the soldiers interviewed the people who had once inhabited the town. Those willing to pledge allegiance to Ozai were allowed to return to the home. Those whose homes were taken were assigned the home of those who were sent away or worse. Loyalists who’d left the Fire Nation filled the other homes.

Ty Woo spent most of her days alone. She had no use for the guards or the soldiers and she wouldn’t dare be caught speaking to the slaves, although the girl who was assigned to feed the Avatar seemed nice.

The Avatar himself was a sad sight. _This sick, pitiful kid is who everyone was afraid of?_ She thought as she blocked his chi for the first time. He looked at her like he recognized her, he must have seen Ty Lee before. She supposed that after a while he realized that she was a different person.

Everyday Ty Woo made sure that the Avatar could not bend then went out to explore the town or walk the grounds of the huge estate. It was all extremely mundane, then, one day, Princess Azula was ushered in by some loyalists.

She didn’t say anything to Azula, she barely acknowledged her. Ty Woo had never cared much for her sister’s friend. Azula was so high and mighty. Ty Lee always said that it was because she was a princess, but her brother Zuko had never acted like that. As time went by, she noticed that Azula was different, quiet, almost unsure of herself. It was strange.

She went on about her new, boring life, until, finally, something happened. There was a party, and a radical announcement. She still went about her job, but everything felt different.

After her regular chi-blocking, Ty Woo walked through the marketplace amazed at how much had changed since she arrived. The shops were open, people were moving about the town, and she’d met a nice guy at the party.

She ran into him at a shop a few days before and invited her to dinner. He was tall, handsome, smart and best of all, he was from the Fire Nation.

“Hi Saturo.”

The young man turned, a sweet smile on his face “Hello Ty Woo. I’m so glad you came.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I was afraid such a pretty girl would stand me up.”

She smiled at him “I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Good.” He offered her his arm “Shall we.”

She took his arm and they started walking “Where are we going?” she asked.

“Well, there’s a nice little noodle shop in town, then, I was thinking, I could take you somewhere special.”

“Oh, really?” she cut her eyes at him “Somewhere special?” she stopped “Is that the type of woman you think I am?”

He stopped and looked at the suspicious expression on her face “No, no. It’s nothing like that. I’m about to open a new factory for my uncle’s company and I’m excited about it. I wanted to share it with you.”

Ty Woo looked at Saturo’s sweet, sincere face. “A factory, huh?”

“Yes.” They started walking again “Actually, it’s quite remarkable.

Saturo told her all about the factory and the wonderful machines they would be making. Over dinner Ty Woo told him about her sisters and their time at the circus before The Phoenix King sent for her. As they walked together to the building on the edge of town she smiled and wonder what strange turn of fate allowed her to meet such a nice guy.

They walked through the doors and Saturo showed Ty Woo around the work space. It was huge, and she didn’t understand half of the technical jargon he was using, but he loved the subject so much, she didn’t mind.

They came to a door at the back of the building “Our offices are back here.” He opened a door revealing a hall carved in rock “We built close to cave system, so we could use that space also.”

“That was a good idea.” She said as she stepped in. As soon as she crossed the threshold the rock came together and blocked the door.  She turned around “What is this?!” she yelled, slamming her fist against the rock.

“I needed to bring you here.”

She turned back to him, her fist balled, ready to fight “I hope you know you can’t beat me.”

“No, I can’t.” he admitted “But they can.”

Saturo stepped aside and four figures stepped out of the shadows. The one in front smiled at her “Hi Sis.”


	8. Song

Soldiers found her hiding in the little hospital where she and her mother worked. It was one of the few places in her town that hadn’t been burned to a crisp.

They saw the scars on her legs as two of the pulled her from the closet she was hiding in. “Who tended your wounds?” a rather large man with a deep voice yelled.

She didn’t answer.

He snatched her away from the two young soldiers who’d found her and shook her hard “WHO!”

“My mother and I did.” She bit back.

“Where is your mother?”

Song held her head down. “Buried under the tree outside.”

The man looked back at another solider “Dig her up.” He barked, and the woman turned to follow the order.

Tears poured from Song’s eyes “Why would you do something like that?”

“To make sure you aren’t lying to protect her.” looks at the pain in her face, then called to the woman “Forget it.” He shoved her back to the two young soldiers “Take her to Gaoling.”

~

They took her to Gaoling. Song was informed that she was now the property of the Phoenix King and her job was to tend to the Avatar who was badly wounded and near death.

 _So, the Avatar is alive._ She thought as she was led down the halls to a heavily guarded room. One of the guards pushed the door open and the guard who’d lead her there handed her medical supply bag to the woman who stood by the wall.

“Let’s go.” The man who’d walked her there said as he gave her a little shove on the shoulder.

The Avatar laid there, wrapped in bandages that clearly hadn’t been changed in days. Song walked around to his unwrapped side, so that he could see her. Aang was staring at the ceiling. He flinched when she came into sight.

She held her hands up so he could see them “It’s okay.” She said calmly “I’m here to take care of you.”

His muscles relaxed, and he glanced at her, then back to the ceiling. She stepped closer. Song kneeled beside Aang and spoke softly “I need change your bandages. Can you stand?”

He looked back at her and gave her a slight nod.

Song smiled at Aang “Good. I’ll help you if that’s okay.”

He nodded at her again.

Slowly, Song helped Aang to his feet. She unwrapped the messily placed dressings and gently as she could. A few times she heard Aang release a hiss of pain.

“I’m sorry.” She said to him sweetly “I know it hurts, but it’s for the best.” He nodded, and she continued.

Finally, the last of the bandages were off. Song turned to the guard stood at the door behind her. “May I have my things now.”

The man stood, staring at Aang. Nearly half of the boy’s face and his shoulder was a shade of red that screamed pain. The only thing that made the man take his eyes off the Avatar was Song stiffly saying “Sir.” He looked at her “May I please have my things now?”

He pushed the heavy door opened and spoke to one of the guards on the other side “Have you finished checking the things?”

“Yes.” The other guard answered as she walked in with Song’s bag. She pulled a bottle out and looked at it “I just need to know wha- “she looked up and saw Aang standing there “Spirits.” The guard gasped out in shock.

Song rushed to the woman “That is a very strong pain medication.” She wanted these people out of the room. They were making her patient feel worse. She wanted to tell them to get out, but she knew she couldn’t. She wasn’t a citizen of the Earth Kingdom any more, there wasn’t anymore Earth Kingdom. Now she was a slave of the Phoenix King, and she had to act as such. “May I please have my things.”

The woman silently handed Song her bag and Song went back to Aang. He looked tired, so she helped him sit on his mat. “It’s okay.” She whispered to him as she pulled her supplies from the bag. “Things look bad right now, I know. You’re in pain, the Earth Kingdom has fallen, so many have died.” She paused and looked down “so many.” Aang looked at her. She looked back to him and smiled “But I have faith. I have faith that you will recover, and the Earth Kingdom will return.” She nodded at him “It is going to be okay.”

As she worked to clean his wounds, she remembered her mother’s words “Most days, this job is easy, a cold, a twisted ankle, simple things. But sometimes there will be horrible injuries, things that the sight of will make your heart ache. No matter how bad it is, we can’t show sorrow to the patient. As hard as it may be for us to witness, we must remember that it is far worse for them to experience it.

It is our job to make them feel better, not worse. We must be upbeat, give them hope. We have to let them know that it’s going to be okay.”

Song finished Aang’s bandages, gave him a dose of medication and helped him lay down again. She sat beside him for a few moments until he drifted off to sleep.

“That should make him sleep most of the night. When he wakes he should be hungry. He can have more after he eats.”

“He doesn’t eat.” The guard said “The cook brings him food, but he refuses. Another slave has attempted to feed him, but he won’t even open his mouth. We’ve been able to force some water into him though.”

Song was horrified and outraged, but she dare not show it. “May I try to feed him.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. The Phoenix King wants him kept alive.”

Song was led to a small room between where Aang was kept and the kitchen. There was a bedroll and a small stack of matching clothes on a short table, but nothing else. Once the guard left, she sat down against the nearest wall and cried.

She sat there and let it all out; the fires, her mother dying, hiding, being found, being a slave, and now having to take care of the Avatar. It was so much

~

It was never a life she imagined but Song settled into her new role as Aang’s caretaker. She tended to his wounds, got him to eat, however small the amount was and despite the fact that the cook was being difficult. And once she’d made connections with the other slaves, she brought him news of rebellion and the outside world.

As the Avatar healed and needed Song less, she was given the duties of helping in the kitchen and collecting herbs for the royal physician. She did keep the job of delivering the Avatar his meals. Song was happy to see Aang gaining weight. He was finally looking somewhat healthy, but, no matter how healthy he looked, he was still sad, broken and angry.

~

She was in he kitchen when one of the servants came and told the cook about the Phoenix King’s announcement. Song was shocked. _What kind of mind would even think up such a thing?_ Song worried about Aang. She even worried about Azula who had only ever huffed at Song in passing. No matter how rude she is, she didn’t deserve to be used in that way, no one did.

Song worried about how Aang was feeling about it. When she had news for him about the outside world and his friends his eyes lit up when she talked about the girl from the water tribe. It was obvious that he cared about her in a different way than how he felt about his other friends. Song even saw him smile a bit when she told him of how she led a group from the north in taking her tribal lands back.

~

When she took his food to him the day after the announcement, she wasn’t allowed in. A guard took the bowl from her and told her to move along so that she wasn’t in the way.

That night, the cook came to her room with a heaping bowl of Laping “Take this to him.” He grumbled to Song “The Phoenix King says the boy must keep his energy up.”

Song took the bowl “Yes Sir.”

“That brat gets treated better than any prisoner I’ve ever seen.” The man groused as he walked away.

Song took the bowl to the room where Aang was kept. Two of the guards at the door laughed when they saw her coming. “You’d better not linger in there too long,” The guard, Kahn, said with a sick smile “now that he’s had a taste, he might be ready for more.”

The other guard, Ming, shoved him a bit “Don’t scare the girl.”

“I’m just saying. The kid’s been locked up for years, and you both know what we just heard.” Ming cut her eyes at him “I’m just saying, he’s got a lot of pent up energy.”

“Maybe one of us should go in with her.” Lee, the youngest of the three, said.

“I’ll be fine, thank you.” She said, bowing her head to them. She knew Kahn was just trying to scare her.

Lee opened the door and Song went in. She saw Aang sitting there, watching the door close behind her. Then he just looked at her. She knew he was wondering what she was doing there.

“The cook said to bring you this.” She said as she walked toward him.

He got up and met her half way “Thank you.” He said as she placed the bowl in his hand.

“I was worried about you.” She whispered.

“I’m fine.” He whispered back, surprising her “Nothing happened.”

She smiled at him and nodded, then left.

~

Song didn’t know what it was, but Aang started talking to her more. Before, the most he would say to her was thank you, but now, he would say hello and ask how she was.

He also looked better. He had gained a bit more weight and didn’t looked malnourished anymore. He also seemed almost content, although hurt and sadness was still obvious in his eyes. She wanted to ask him what had changed, but she was only there to take him food and leave. Besides, she knew what was different.

Princess Azula had been in his room nearly every night for the past two weeks. She knew he said nothing happened the first time, but she’d wondered if that was still true. She’d heard of cases where prisoners began to sympathize with their captors. She hoped that wasn’t the case.


End file.
